Mayor Shari Cantor and state Sen. Derek Slap participated in a program with students at West Hartford’s Kingswood Oxford school.

Submitted by Jackie Pisani, Kingswood Oxford

Recently, West Hartford Mayor Shari Cantor, state Sen. Derek Slap, and former executive of the Carter Foundation Barry Nickelsberg visited the Kingswood Oxford “We the People” IMPACT Class, a new initiative centered around civics and constitutional education.

This was a dynamic, interactive session where the class rotated on a panel, answering different topics presented by Upper School history teacher Steph Sperber. This class allowed students to delve into the U.S. Constitution and its evolution, focusing on the three branches of government, judicial review, and the consent of the governed.

Each group of students was assigned a specific question related to elections, political parties, or other constitutional topics. They prepared four-minute speeches to present their findings. Students were encouraged to articulate their ideas and respond to Cantor’s, Slap’s, and Nickelberg’s questions thoughtfully without notes, reinforcing public speaking skills as a critical part of the learning process.

After the presentations, the panel commended the students for their professionalism. Cantor told the students that our country relies on the students to stay engaged and understand how important their voices are in the political process.

Slap added to Cantor’s comments about the importance of student involvement. “I encourage you to be skeptical but not cynical,” Slap said. “There’s a big difference between the two. Ask questions and be a contrarian once in a while, but please don’t be cynical. We need your optimism.”

Nickelsberg expressed his concern for the country’s future due to the lack of engagement of young people in politics; however, he had a change of heart after visiting the “We the People” class.

“Quite frankly, I’ve been scared. But when I walked into this room and heard what you had to say, you changed my mind. Thank you for that.”

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